Selling a House in Shaker Heights: The Point of Sale Inspection
If you own a house in Shaker Heights, selling it starts with the city, not a buyer. Before you sign a purchase contract, Shaker requires a point of sale application and an inspection. What the inspector finds decides whether you repair, escrow money, or hand the work to the buyer.
A large brick Tudor-style house with a slate roof and leaded windows on a tree-lined suburban street in autumn light
In Shaker Heights, you must apply for a point of sale inspection before you sign a contract to sell a residential property. Before the sale closes, every violation must be fixed, or 150 percent of the estimated repair cost must go into an escrow held by the city. The buyer can agree to take over repairs. All figures here come from the city's own page.
The steps, in order
Apply online before you sign a contract
Schedule the inspection
Get your certificate
Fix, escrow or hand off
Close the sale
Timing matters. The city says to allow at least two weeks from the date you apply, and three to four weeks during the busy spring season. Starting early gives you time to fix things before buyers are waiting on you.
Selling in Shaker Heights?
Send us the address. We will walk through the point of sale steps with you and give you a written cash offer that accounts for any violations, so you can compare it with listing.
Fees and timelines at a glance
| Item | What the city says |
|---|---|
| Single-family home fee | $200 |
| Two-family home fee | $300 |
| Condominium fee | $150 |
| Apartment building fee | $200 for the first unit, $50 per additional unit |
| Inspection length | About 90 minutes for single and two-family homes |
| Time to allow | At least two weeks; three to four weeks in spring |
| Certificate of Compliance | Transfer within 24 months of the initial inspection |
| Violations found | Correct within 90 days, whether or not you sell |
| Escrow if repairs remain | 150 percent of the estimated repair cost |
From the City of Shaker Heights Point of Sale Procedure page as we read it in October 2026. Fees and rules can change, so confirm with the Building & Housing Department before you rely on them.
If the inspector finds violations
A Certificate of Inspection lists violations that must be corrected within 90 days. The city says that is true "regardless if the property is sold." Taking the house off the market does not stop the clock. After repairs, you schedule a re-inspection, and a pass earns the Certificate of Compliance.
The city knows some repairs take time, especially when weather matters. It will extend the 90 days when progress is satisfactory but not finished. There is a form on the city's site to request an extension.
When the buyer takes over the repairs
The city says the seller typically makes the repairs, but a buyer may take on all or part of them. If violations will remain after the sale, the buyer or seller must submit an itemized estimate from a registered contractor. Once the city approves it, the buyer sets up an escrow account for 150 percent of the estimated cost.
There is one alternative. If the buyer will live in the house, the buyer can ask to use a purchase rehab loan instead of the escrow. The city reviews the loan terms, the lender and whether the loan is enough to cover all the violations. A buyer who will not live in the house, such as an investor, cannot use that option.
A 150 percent escrow can be a large amount on a house with many violations. Buyers may factor it into what they offer. Know your inspection results before you negotiate, so the number does not surprise you after you have agreed on a price.
The city also requires buyers at a sheriff's sale or other court-ordered auction to get a point of sale inspection within 30 days after the transfer. So the inspection follows the house even in a foreclosure.
Situations sellers ask about
You change your mind about selling
The city says violations on a Certificate of Inspection must be corrected within 90 days "whether proceeding with a sale or removing the property from the market." Applying starts a process you finish even if you decide to stay. That is a good reason to know your plans, and your repair budget, before you apply.
You own a condo or a two-family
The steps are the same, but the fee differs. The city lists $150 for a condominium and $300 for a two-family home. Apartment buildings take longer, and the city says the Fire Department also inspects the common areas.
You inherited the house
The city's rule is written for anyone selling residential property in Shaker Heights. If you are selling as an heir or through an estate, plan for the application and inspection like any other seller, and check with the estate's attorney about timing.
The house is headed to a sheriff's sale
The inspection does not go away. The city requires the buyer at a sheriff's sale or other court-ordered auction to get a point of sale inspection within 30 days of the transfer.
Before you apply: a short checklist
- Gather any permits for past work. Our post on unpermitted work explains why that matters.
- Read the city's inspection guidelines. The point of sale page links to exterior and interior guidelines, so you can see what the inspector looks at.
- Decide your repair budget before the report arrives, so you can choose quickly between fixing and escrowing.
- Remember disclosure. The city inspection does not replace Ohio's seller disclosure form for things you know about.
Shaker Heights is one city. Other Cuyahoga County suburbs run their own programs, or none, with different fees and escrow rules. Our post on selling a house with code violations walks through Cleveland Heights as another example.
How the inspection affects your net proceeds
Your net proceeds are the price minus your mortgage payoff, closing costs, any commission, and any repair or escrow cost you take on. Here is a made-up example. A house sells for $220,000 with a $120,000 payoff. If you spend $10,000 on required repairs, you are at $90,000 before other costs. A 6% commission on a listing would take $13,200 more. Your numbers will differ.
If the buyer takes on the repairs instead, you may not spend that $10,000, but a buyer may offer less to cover the escrow. Either way, the violations cost someone. The question is who pays and when.
Your six options
| Option | Point of sale impact | What to weigh |
|---|---|---|
| Keep it | No sale, so no point of sale process | The city also runs other inspection programs for some properties |
| Repair it | Fix violations to earn a Certificate of Compliance | Spend only on what the report requires or what raises your net |
| Rent it out | No sale yet | Shaker has separate rental inspections |
| List with an agent | Apply before signing a contract | Commissions often run 5.5% to 6%. Spring can mean longer waits |
| Sell it yourself (FSBO) | Same city steps apply | You handle the application, inspection and escrow paperwork |
| Sell direct for cash | Same city steps apply. We can take on repairs through escrow | We can close as fast as 7 days after the city steps allow, typically around 21 |
Every sale of residential property in Shaker Heights goes through the point of sale process. What differs is who pays for repairs and how long it takes.
Compare fixing with selling as-is
Ask us for a written cash offer. Put it next to your repair estimates and a listing, and see which leaves you with the most.
This article summarizes the City of Shaker Heights Point of Sale Procedure page as we read it in October 2026. It is general information, not legal advice. We did not read the city ordinance itself or any other suburb's rules. Confirm current fees and requirements with the Shaker Heights Building & Housing Department, City Hall at 3400 Lee Road, 216-491-1400.
Questions about your Shaker Heights house?
Call or send us the address. We will explain how the inspection and escrow fit your situation, and you decide what comes next.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, for residential property. The city says you must submit the point of sale application online before entering into a contract with a buyer, and then schedule an inspection.
The city lists $200 for a single-family home, $300 for a two-family, $150 for a condominium, and $200 for the first apartment unit plus $50 for each additional unit. The fee covers the process, including the inspection.
The city says to allow at least two weeks from the date of application, and three to four weeks in the busy spring season. The inspection itself takes about 90 minutes for a single or two-family home.
The city says a property with a Certificate of Compliance can be transferred within 24 months from the date of the initial inspection.
You get a Certificate of Inspection, and the violations must be corrected within 90 days whether or not you sell. The city allows extensions when progress is satisfactory but incomplete.
Yes. The city says a buyer may assume all or part of the repairs. A registered contractor must prepare an itemized estimate, and the buyer sets up an escrow of 150 percent of the estimated cost.
Yes. The point of sale steps still apply. A buyer who will not live in the house cannot use the city's purchase rehab loan option, so violations are either fixed or escrowed. We show you how that affects your offer before you sign.
Find out what we would pay
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